York Polar Bears, Devils form a bond beyond hockey
Adam Bernhardt skated slowly to the empty team bench.
He found a seat and watched everyone else practice. He preferred to wait for his ice hockey mentor and best friend to return from a break.
Adam, who turns 13 this month, has Down syndrome and is a member of the new York Polar Bears, one of the only teams for disabled kids in York County. His best friend Caleb Olver, 12, is a member of the York Devils youth ice hockey program.
Every Monday evening, members of the Devils help instruct the Polar Bears, many of whom had never skated, no less played hockey, just two months ago. Many had never been on a team of any kind.
But there's more to this for Adam and Caleb.
When Adam got to pick a number for his hockey uniform, he picked Caleb's No. 23.
"Caleb walks on water to Adam," said father David Bernhardt of Windsor Township.
"Caleb's probably his only friend to play with. He has friends at school, but they're equally as challenged in everything they do. Caleb is the one contact Adam has with the outside world."
The boys met more than two years ago through Special Olympics. Adam was learning to figure skate and Caleb was volunteering to help whoever needed it. They seemed to click.
Now, they enjoy hanging out at each other's houses playing video games, kicking a soccer ball and shooting baskets. Their families even vacation together. And nothing stoked the friendship more than the opportunity for Caleb to introduce Adam to ice hockey.
"I like to help people and I like to play hockey, so it's pretty much my two favorite things," said Caleb, whose family lives in Conewago Township.
Actually, Caleb also understands Adam in a unique way. Caleb often stutters when speaking. He talked about how others look at him differently when he talks and he knows some make fun of him.
"He got discouraged a while ago because of it," said his father, Josh Olver, a special education teacher at Northeastern Middle School. "It was neat to remind him that Adam doesn't care if he's got a stutter or not. It doesn't bother him at all. You got a friend there you don't have to worry about."
It also doesn't matter to Caleb that Adam learns much slower than most children, that he mastered zipping his coat just last year.
The two friends are inseparable on Monday evenings at the York City Ice Arena. Adam listens to Caleb when he pulls him aside to practice basic hockey skills, like how to stop in skates and how to hold a stick.
"He's my partner who helps me," Adam said.
The York Polar Bears are all about these kind of relationships and stories.
Zach Slenker, the Susquehannock High grad and former Penn State volleyball player, helps coach the Bears. His 9-year-old son, Hudson, is a York Devils mentor and his 7-year-old son, Abram, is a player. Abram has no vision in one eye and restricted vision in the other — and had no interest in hockey until this team, his father said.
Abram's friend, Sophia Schwartz, 12, also is visually impaired. She's become one of the team's fastest skaters and is captain material, encouraging her teammates and watching over them.
Each Polar Bear is paired with a mentor during the hour-long practice. Part of Caleb's role is to keep Adam focused on the learning and, of course, the fun of it all. The one time Caleb could not make practice, Adam quit 15 minutes early.
David Bernhardt said he's unsure if his son would be there at all if not for Caleb.
"He knows he has to keep a watchful eye on Adam," Josh Olver said. "But in his eyes Adam's just a friend. He wants to come Monday nights to hang out with a friend."
